The pressure bulkhead for an aircraft is the structural component which supports the pressure of the fuselage of the aircraft at its ends. The strain that the fuselage of the aircraft is subjected to particularly when said fuselage is depressurized, in this case adding the negative pressure of the fuselage with the strain due, for example, to the loads from the vertical stabilizer, are transmitted to the rear pressure bulkhead, making it bend and buck and even collapse if it is not stiff enough. In addition, it is even more necessary with modern aircraft designs to manufacture pressure bulkheads minimizing their weight while at the same time maintaining their stiffness.
Pressure bulkheads made of metal, particularly aluminum, are known in the art, although these designs require metal stiffeners providing these bulkheads with sufficient stiffness to support fuselage strain.
In addition, pressure bulkheads made of a composite material, mainly CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced with Plastic) are known which also require stiffeners made of CFRP to support strain coming from the fuselage.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,589 describes a pressure bulkhead for an aircraft made of a composite material and locally stiffened in its areas with the highest demand by means of introducing foam, thus increasing the thickness of the bulkhead in these areas. However, it is necessary to manufacture this bulkhead in sections so that it can be correctly assembled on the skin of the aircraft fuselage.
The object of the present invention is a pressure bulkhead for aircraft made of a composite material which solves the drawbacks of the prior art.